Lick The Spoon: Pork Souvlaki Provides A Taste Of The Mediterranean

It seems a few people in the past few months have asked when I’m going to have another cooking class. (I was so looking forward to having a few this past winter post-COVID, but a broken foot trashed those plans for another year.)

The last person specifically asked for Mediterranean food and that’s always so much nicer in the summer on the grill, so this is going to have to do!

Souvlaki can be made with chicken, lamb or pork, and is great either wrapped in a pita or even deconstructed on a plate. I serve it with hummus, tabouli and tatziki sauce. Hummus is readily available in the grocery store, just pick your favorite variety.

SOUVLAKI

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons oregano fresh or dried

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Place all ingredients except pork into a medium sized bowl and mix until combined. Add pork and toss to coat. Let marinade for at least two hours.

Meanwhile soak bamboo skewers and soak the bulger for the tabouli.

Thread pork on skewers and grill over medium flame until cooked through and slightly charred on the outside.

To serve, open up a pita pocket and spread with humus. Place a tablespoon of tabouli into the pocket, and fill with chucks of souvlaki, top with tatziki and serve.

TABOULI

1/2 cup course bulger (cracked wheat)

1/8 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup mint leaves, chiffonaded

2 bunches curley parsley, finely chopped

4 diced Roma tomatoes

3 green onions sliced

1 English cucumber diced

1/4 cup olive oil

Soak bulger in lemon and water for at least two hours, and bulger has absorbed all the liquid.

Mix with remaining ingredients and let set for 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

TATZIKI

½ cup finely grated cucumber

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, grated

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon chopped dill

Grate the cucumber into a bowl and then squeeze out as much of the water as you can.

Mix the cumber with the other ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving.